


I Should Have Stayed Home Today

by Broooookiecrisp



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Hurt Jack, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Mild Language, Missions Gone Wrong, Some Fluff, Teamwork, Trapped In Elevator, Trust, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:06:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Broooookiecrisp/pseuds/Broooookiecrisp
Summary: Do you ever have one of those days that feels like it will never end? Well, that's exactly what this day had turned out to be for Emel. Work had been a nightmare and she desperately needed the weekend to begin. Just when she thought things couldn't get anymore out of control, her day crossed paths with a Phoenix mission. I guess if you were going to be in mortal danger, who better to be with than Jack Dalton?
Relationships: Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

I really should have stayed home this morning...

At least that's what I kept quietly whispering to myself as my day got more and more annoying with each passing moment. The only thing holding me together was the fact that it's Friday and I'm only three hours from being home free for the weekend. If I could just make it three short hours without any more incidents...

That's when it happened. My coworker, who had taken on a grayish complexion, stopped suddenly at the corner of my desk and emptied the contents of her stomach into my unsuspecting trashcan.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. Every ounce of anger and irritation that had accumulated throughout the day bubbled up to the surface and came out as pure rage. The entirety of its force landed on the only person directly in its path. "Are you kidding me, Jenny?!"

Jenny looked up at me, shocked by my outburst. She really laid the pity on thick. "I'm sorry, Emel. I can't help it. You know I've been feeling sick all day."

I rolled my eyes so hard it almost hurt. "Yes, we know. We ALL know! You've been bitching and moaning about it since you got here. We get it. You've got kids, and kids get sick. Yadda, yadda, yadda. If you knew your kids had the flu and you didn't feel well, why the hell would you come in and expose everyone you work with?! I swear on your life if I get sick..."

I fully intended to keep laying into her, but my boss stepped in to defuse the situation. "Emel, why don't you take a break." She handed me a $20 bill from her purse. "Here, go down to that coffee shop on the corner and grab me a latte. You can get anything you want. We will clean up here."

She was offering me an escape route and I couldn't be more grateful. I accepted the money from her outstretched hand and grabbed my purse from my desk drawer. I was in the elevator and on the street in no time flat. All I really wanted to do was head straight for my car and go home. I could be there in 30 minutes. Bingo, the cutest dog in the world, would be waiting there for me with endless love and comforting snuggles. But I still had to make it 3 more hours. If I couldn't have my couch and sweatpants, then I would settle for junk food. I needed cookies. Any kind of cookies. Luckily for me, there was also a convenience store nearby.

I may or may not have gone a little overboard on the comfort food, but I had no regrets. Stuffing the contents of my haul into my purse, I pushed through the door of the corner shop and headed back towards my office. I had managed to chip away about half an hour of my remaining prison stint. I REALLY hope that the crime scene I left behind was all cleared up by the time I made it back. And my sanity was hinged on my boss sending Jenny home. Maybe she would be gone too. A girl can only hope.

When I came up on our building something seemed different. Things seemed way busier than usual. There were a lot of faces that I didn't recognize. That was bound to happen though, with that new tech firm moving in on the floor above us. Maybe the extra traffic would stir up some business for us too.

My dread was rising as I entered the building. By the time I stepped into the elevator I felt like I could start crying at any second. I pushed the button for my floor and watched as the doors standing between me and freedom slowly closed.

With seconds to spare, I heard a pleading shout and saw a hand dart between the closing doors. "Wait up! Hold the door please."

The doors dinged back open, revealing a breathless man. Actually, a man was putting it lightly. This guy was the epitome of a man. My body took immediate notice. Chills ran across my skin as his presence invaded the small, tight space of the elevator.

He was on the phone, so he didn't notice me gawking at him like an idiot. "What floor is this thing on, Mac? We really don't have time to play Marco Polo with these dudes." He didn't seem to mind that I could hear his conversation. "Thirteen! Are you freaking kidding me man? This just smells like trouble. Of course, it would be on a haunted floor when I'm the one who has to go get it."

I could hear his friend laughing as he hung up the phone. On instinct, I reached out and pushed the button for the floor directly above my stop. A ping of excitement washed over me as I realized we would spend the entire ride together. Maybe this day wasn't so bad after all.

The smile he flashed at me was almost torturous it was so beautiful. My gosh, his face! I didn't know it was possible a creature like this even existed. The only thing that eclipsed his smile was his voice. It was warm and gravely with a southern drawl. Texas maybe... "Thank you, darling."

I was done for. I could have melted where I stood. The only thing that was keeping me upright was his gaze that had yet to leave mine. The grin that I had mentioned before was back now and it snapped me back into focus. How long had I just been standing there staring at him?! I could feel my face turning red and I broke our eye contact to hide from him.

I think he took my lack of verbal response as me not wanting to socialize. He seemed a little deflated but quickly busied himself with his phone. What was the matter with me?! Talk to him.

I was starting to panic a little as the floors dinged by and brought me closer to my stop. I was losing my chance. Just say something! Anything...

The elevator was slowing to a stop. It was now or never. Just open your mouth and go with the first thing that comes to mind. Here goes nothing. "I'm Emel by the way."

I accepted that as a victory. Honestly, at this point I was lucky I remembered my own name.

He looked up from his phone right as the elevator doors started to open.

We were both distracted from my pathetic attempt at flirting when the doors started to malfunction. They opened maybe two inches and then slammed shut again. They glitched out the same way a few more times before opening slightly wider. That's when we saw it. Mine was a look of shock, and his a look of recognition when our eyes landed on the gun pointing directly at us from the other side of the door.

Before I even realized what was happening, the stranger I had just been admiring stepped in front of me and swept me to the side of the elevator wall. I could have sworn I heard a gunshot, but I couldn't be sure. There wasn't time to evaluate. It all happened so fast. The elevator doors slammed shut again, and then we were falling...

I didn't care anymore that I didn't know him. I didn't care that he made me nervous because he was perfect. All I cared about was that he was there, and he was close enough to hold on to.

My eyes were clenched shut in fear, but I could still feel him. He had me cradled to his chest, trying to cover me with his body. Protecting me seemed to be his first instinct. He didn't even think about it, he just jumped to action.

My stomach was in my throat. The anticipation of what was coming terrified me. Any moment now we were going to impact. Was it going to hurt, or would it be quick? Please God, let it be quick.

I squeezed him tight around his middle as I held on for dear life. This is probably the most selfish thought I've ever had, but in that moment, I was glad I wasn't alone.

Just as suddenly as we’d dropped, we started to screech to a stop. The abrupt change in force felt like it turned everything upside down and inside out. One second, he was there holding on to me and the next he was gone. The only thing I registered after that was pain. Lots and lots of pain. I was getting tossed around like a rag doll and it felt like it was never going to stop. At this point I was almost wishing for the end.

I must have gotten my wish because everything stilled. And then there was nothing. Just darkness.

* * *

**~~~~~~~~~~**

I’m not sure if it was the sounding alarms or the blood dripping into my eyes, but something was pulling me out of unconsciousness. It took a moment for my vision to adjust. What had just happened? Was I dead?

That thought was quickly ruled out when I went to sit up. Immediately, there was a jolt of pain running through my body and a sharp stinging sensation piercing the top of my head. Nope, not dead. Death wouldn’t hurt this badly.

How did I get in here? Why was this room so dark? And why did I feel like I got ran over by a truck? The last thing I remember was being at work. I remember because Jenny was being super annoying. Why was she always so annoying? She shouldn’t have come in if she was sick. I should have just stayed home today…

That’s when it clicked. The events of the last hour all came rushing back at once. Jenny throwing up by my desk. Me fleeing for comfort cookies. Holding the elevator door for the most beautiful man I’d ever seen… OH GOD!

Ignoring the pain, I shot up and frantically searched the elevator for him. It was hard to see. The emergency lights had kicked on and everything was dim. My eyes finally landed on his contorted figure just a few feet away from me. He was so still. Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead.

I dropped to my knees beside him and gently turned him over on his back. His arm had been bent at a very unnatural angle, so moving him made me cringe a little. His lack of response made me even more nervous. He was just so still. His features looked different like this. He looked relaxed – younger even… He was still beautiful, but I think I preferred him before. I couldn’t see all the lines and wrinkles that brought his face to life. The lines that told the story of a life filled with hardships and laughter. A life that couldn’t be over yet…

I pressed my fingers to his neck in search of a pulse. It was there, pounding strong and steady. I could feel the tension release from my body when I knew he was still alive. Leaning down, I listened at his lips for a breath. Warm air brushed against my ear at a slow, even tempo. I think he was okay. At the very least, he wasn’t in any immediate danger.

But then again, maybe that wasn’t true. We were hanging high above the ground in an elevator that had decided to clock out early for the day. And there was also the matter of the gun wielding maniac that took a shot at us. Maybe immediate danger was exactly what we were in.

Questions were starting to run through my head faster than I could answer. Were these two random incidents, or was I really having the worst day of all time? Why was there a man with a gun on the floor with my office? Was everyone else okay?! Who was this man I was sitting next to?

I looked down at him again with curiosity. I didn’t know anything about him. Where was he from? What was his favorite food? Did he like dogs? I didn’t even know his name yet… My name was all he knew about me, and yet he still chose to put himself between me and a gun. I feel like that is something a normal person wouldn’t just do. He clearly wasn’t normal. If you had asked me 30 minutes ago, I would have said he was Heaven sent but now I needed more information.

Gently, I started patting down his pockets for any clue as to who he might be. I found his phone and his wallet but neither of them was any help. The only thing in his wallet was a little bit of cash, a frozen yogurt punch card, and a membership card that had something to do with Bruce Willis. Weird… His cellphone was password protected so I couldn’t get any further than the lock screen. All I could see there was a picture of a little girl playing skee ball. She looked to be about 12 maybe… Was he a father? I reached down and picked up his left hand. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. Even in this dire situation I still felt myself smile at that discovery. Hope wasn’t lost. Well, I guess we had to make it out of here alive for any of that to even matter.

As I was putting the contents of his wallet back together, something shiny caught my eye on the inside of his jacket. It turned out to be exactly what I was afraid it was going to be… A fully loaded gun. Who was this guy?! I started to panic a little bit. He had no I.D., he was strapped, and he was suspiciously good looking. Leave it to me to be attracted to someone shady. He could be some kind of criminal or something. I’ve watched enough documentaries to know that it is always the smooth, pretty ones that end up being serial killers.

An unsettling feeling crept over me as I realized that I was trapped in here with him. What was going to happen when he woke up? It’s not like I could run. I couldn’t even hide. What I could do was arm myself. I reached inside his jacket and removed the gun from its holster. It was heavier than I thought it was going to be.

Standing up, I tucked the gun into the back of my pants and covered it with my shirt. At least this way, if he were going to hurt me, I would be ready. Or at least I would have a fair chance of defending myself.

This was all getting to be too much. My head was pounding, and I was getting hit with waves of nausea. I needed to get out of this confined space and breathe in some fresh air. Maybe that would clear my head. I was starting to feel a little foggy. I felt like my brain was moving a little slower than usual. That must have been why it took so long to occur to me that I should try and call for help.

I located my purse on the floor and rummaged through it to find my cell phone. It still had a full charge, but I have zero service. Of course… The emergency phone on the wall wasn’t working either. The control panel wasn’t functioning at all. None of the buttons lit up. We were stuck and we couldn’t call for help.

I was holding my phone over my head searching for service when I heard him stir. He let out a soft moan of pain, but he hadn’t opened his eyes yet.

Cautiously, I knelt down next to him again. Placing my hands on either side of his face, I steadied him so his gaze would be fixed on me when he opened his eyes. “Hey, can you hear me? Open your eyes. It’s okay.”

He still hadn’t completely come to, but his face was creased in pain. I could feel the tension in his jaw from where he was clenching his teeth. As I took in the details of his face, I got lost in how handsome he was. His hair was dark but peppered with a little bit of grey. He had lines around his eyes and mouth from sporting that heart stopping smile all these years. He was distinguished. If I had to guess, I would say in his late 40’s, maybe early 50’s… but age suited him. He clearly took care of himself. Even though it had wrinkles, his skin was soft under my hands. Except for the peppered scruff that tickled my palms, his face was completely smooth. And his body…

He started to stir again, and I noticed a single tear fall down his cheek and over my fingers. He really must have been in pain. I spoke to him again. “It’s okay. You’re okay. You can open your eyes. Can you hear me?”

Slowly, his lids blinked open and he focused on my face. His eyes were a gorgeous deep brown that expressed every emotion that flickered across his mind. I think they could have told an entire story without him even speaking a word.

We stared at each other in silence for a moment until fear danced across his expression. He must have been starting to remember what led us up to this point. He tried to sit up quickly but immediately cried out in pain. I did my best to comfort him. “Ssshh… Easy. Easy… Take it slow. You’ve been out for a while.”

My voice drew his attention back to my face and his expression changed again. He looked worried this time. Slowly, his fingers reached up to brush my forehead. “You’re bleeding… Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?” And just like that, he set aside his own pain to check in on me. That was the second time today he had put my needs before his own.

I knew I had a pounding headache, but I hadn’t noticed the giant open gash at the hairline of my scalp. I winced when my fingers traced over the cut. When I pulled them away, they were covered in blood. It was dripping down the side of my face. It shocked me a little, so I just blurted out the truth. “Oh… I hadn’t noticed it.”

He tried to sit up again so that he could look me over, but he instantly recoiled from the pain. He was making me nervous. I didn’t want him to hurt himself more, and I still wasn’t entirely sure if I trusted him. I put my hand on his chest and pushed him slowly back down to the floor. The firmness I felt beneath my fingers was a detail that I would have up unpack and evaluate later. Now wasn’t the time.

I chastised him a little. “You need to lay still. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. What about you? Where does it hurt?”

He let out a small chuckle. “Everywhere.” He took a minute to feel himself out and do a damage report. “But my shoulder… S’ killing me. Can you help me take off my jacket?”

Fear was trickling down my spine as I helped him out of his jacket. So far, he hadn’t noticed that he was missing his gun. His breath inhaled sharply as he moved his shoulder. “I think it’s dislocated.”

My eyes searched the outline of his body. I gasped when I saw the trails of bright red blood dripping down his arm. His eyes shot up to meet mine in alarm. “What is it?! What’s wrong?”

I pointed to the blood collecting at his elbow. “You’re bleeding too.”

He didn’t react like I expected. He seemed more annoyed than worried. Like maybe this wasn’t his first time something like this had happened to him. He smiled at me again. It was still as gorgeous as the first time. I think he was trying to disarm me. I’m sure I must have looked crazy at this point. He repeated my words from earlier back to me. “Oh, I guess I hadn’t noticed either.” He had succeeded in getting me to smile. “Where is it coming from? All I can feel is my shoulder.”

Very carefully I helped him sit up so that I could take a closer look. No wonder we hadn’t noticed before… He had been laying on his back. The material of his grey t-shirt was soaked in blood. It was the same shoulder that he had already identified as being dislocated. This was way more than a dislocation. It looked like…

And then it clicked into place. He had been shot. When he stepped in front of me, he had taken a bullet to his shoulder. “I think… I think you were shot. That man… He shot you.”

Again, he reacted way more calmly than I would expect. Should it worry me that this was something he seemed used to? Reading my expression, he tried to assure me. “Hey, look at me.” He waited for me to meet his gaze. “I’ll be alright. This ain’t my first rodeo. I’m gonna need your help though sweetheart. Are you with me?”

Normally, someone calling me sweetheart would have made my blood boil. I think he was the only man on the planet that could pull that off. I nodded my head to let him know I understood. He continued. “Okay good. Now, there isn’t an exit wound so that means that bullet is still in there somewhere. Normally I would just leave it be, but we’ve got to relocate my shoulder. Do you think you can help me get my shirt off?”

Any other time that question would have excited me, but right now I was too terrified to notice. I didn’t want to think about what all he was going to ask me to do before this was over. Helping him take his shirt off should have been the easiest task but that was proving to be untrue. Finding a way to get it over his head without jostling his shoulder was impossible.

This was fruitless and it was torturing me to listen to him in this much pain. “This isn’t working. I think we need to cut you out.”

He looked amused. “Cut me out? What, are you gonna Hulk out and rip it off me? I don’t see any scissors around here.”

I rolled my eyes and reached for my bag. “Hold on, I’ve got something in my purse.”

When I pulled said item out, his eyes lit up. “Is that a Swiss Army Knife? Man, my buddy would love you.”

I shrugged my shoulders in indifference. “My friend gave it to me. She said she watched some guy use one of these to save her life once. She insisted that we always have one on us now.”

He did his best to smile at me, but I could tell he was starting to get tired. “Okay, hold still. I’m just going to cut this down the center of your back.” It didn’t take long to free him. Now that I could see the wound, it looked even more painful. You could clearly see where his shoulder wasn’t in correct alignment, and the bullet wound looked red and agitated. The only good thing was that it seemed to be bleeding slowly. We didn’t have to worry about him bleeding out anytime soon.

I had finished my first task. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for more, but I didn’t really have a choice. “Okay, now what?”

He sighed. Clearly, he wasn’t looking forward to this next part. “Now I need you to see if you can see the bullet. And if you can see it, I need you to take it out.”

If I thought about it for too long, then I wouldn’t do it. I grabbed my phone and held the flashlight up to his back. Sure enough, I could see something reflecting off the light. “I see it, but it looks deep. How am I supposed to get that out?”

He gestured toward the front of the elevator. “Is there a first aid kit in that emergency panel?” His instincts were right. I brought the small bag back to where he was sitting and opened it so he would see everything we had to work with. He pulled a couple of things out and handed them to me. “Here, use these to disinfect the area. And you can use this gauze to soak up any blood from the incision you make.”

What did he just say? “Incision?! You want me to cut you open even more? Are you insane?!”

I was starting to panic. I know I needed to keep my cool for his sake but that was harder than it seemed. I was not qualified to do something like this. He was putting an awful lot of trust in the shaky hands of someone he didn’t even know. Like he had done many times today already, he came to my rescue. “Hey, hey, hey… Emel, look at me!”

My name on his lips snapped me back into focus. It surprised me that through all of this, he managed to remember my name. “You can do this Em. I trust you. Just take it slow. One step at a time. You’re gonna use your Swiss Army Knife. Remind me to send your friend a thank you note after this.”

He had done it again. He had managed to disarm me without me even noticing. There was something about him shortening my name that made me feel closer to him. There was a familiarity to it that helped erase any unease I felt towards him before. He was trusting me. And he sounded so sure. I believed him. I guess I trusted him too.

After I had cleaned the area as best I could, I picked up my knife and waited for him to give me my next step. “Okay, now just widen the cut a little on the bottom and the top. And here, you can use these forceps to get a grip on the bullet.”

He handed me the long-stimmed forceps from the first aid kit. Very, very slowly I did as he instructed. The sensation of cutting into his skin was very unsettling. You have to push harder than you’d think. Especially when you’re using a dinky little pocketknife.

The muscles in his back tensed as I worked the forceps towards the bullet. I could feel him holding back his screams. Tears were dripping down my cheeks as I worked. It felt like I was torturing him. “I’m so sorry. I think I’ve almost got it. It’s so slippery, it makes it hard to get a hold of.”

After a few more attempts I finally got it. Aside from the occasional flinch and curse word, he was the perfect patient. I felt him relax as soon as I pulled the bullet free. He waited patiently as I dressed the wound and then let the other shoe drop. “Okay, now for the hard part.”

He was trying to make light of the situation for my benefit, but it wasn’t working. I was tired of torturing him. I hated being the one responsible for causing him this much pain. “Will this at least be quick? I know you’re the one hurting, but I don’t know how much more of this I can take…”

He gave me a knowing smile. “It’ll be quicker than double-struck lightening. I promise. All I need from you in this last part is to help me stand up. Then I can take it from there.”

Gently, I helped him to his feet. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then grabbed the wrist of his injured arm with the opposite hand. His face grimaced as he pulled his arm slowly and steadily forward in front of his body. I was expecting it to be a quick, sudden movement with enough force to yank everything back into alignment, but I guess all the movies I watched had it wrong. I watched in disbelief as his joint slid back into place with his patient guidance. I honestly don’t know how he did it. I would have been a mess.

He smiled up at me when he saw the look of bewilderment on my face. “Slow and steady wins the race, darlin’.” He stepped closer to me with intention and it took me by surprise. “Now, let me take a look at that gash on your head. You’re still bleeding pretty good.”

My face was cupped protectively between his strong, rough hands as he examined me closely. It is a good thing he was holding on to me because my head was starting to swim. I’m not sure if it was from the head wound, the adrenaline wearing off, or my proximity to this beautiful stranger. Probably all three. I didn’t really have any energy left to dissect it.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of his hands on my skin, and the warmth of his breath on my cheek. He was so careful with every movement he made so that he didn’t cause me too much pain. When his fingers brushed over a particularly tender spot, my hand shot up to grip his forearm. I think he thought I was signaling for him to stop because his entire body froze. Really, I just needed to steady myself. I needed to feel something sure and strong was holding me in place, because if it were just me… I’d be on the floor.

When I opened my eyes, two deep brown irises were searching mine in worry. His face was so close to mine. The only thing that could tear me away from those fathomless eyes, were his lips as they parted to speak. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

He looked guilty and apologetic, which made my heart break a little. He had done nothing but look after me from the moment all of this started. I had yet to find a single thing wrong with this man. Well, other than the fact that he had an unexplained firearm. And he still hadn’t noticed that was missing, by the way…

His hands were still holding my face as we stared quietly at each other. His thumbs were brushing over my cheeks, trying to provide comfort. “Emel…? Are you with me?”

The sound of my name on his voice snapped me out of my trance. How long I had just been staring at him? And had I been holding my breath this entire time? “Yes, I’m okay. I think I just need to sit down. Can we sit down?”

We slid down the side of the elevator wall and I rested my head on his shoulder. Normally I would never be this forward, or ignore physical boundaries, but I was just so tired. I needed a minute and he was so warm.

A few moments went by with neither of us speaking. I could feel him thinking beside me though. He was undoubtedly examining our surroundings trying to find a way to get us out of here. I startled him when I spoke. “Can I ask you something?”

His voice was quiet. “Of course.”

I had been dying to ask him this question, but I think I was afraid of what his answer might be. “What did you mean before when you said this wasn’t your first rodeo? Nobody I know would be so chill about a gunshot wound. You aren’t like a criminal or something, right?”

He hissed in pain as he tried to stifle his laughter. “No, I’m not a criminal. I’m a former Delta Commando. And now… let’s just say I work for the government and leave it at that.”

Was this real? Was I actually suffering from a severe concussion and my brain was imagining me being rescued by a handsome secret agent? Either way, I might as well enjoy it while it lasted. I spoke again. “Can I ask you another question?” Again, he answered with a yes. I probably should have asked this question a long time ago. “What’s your name?”

He smirked adorably. “Jack. My name is Jack.”

Somehow, that fit him perfectly. “Well Jack, now that I know you aren’t some crazy killer… I should probably give this back to you.”

I pulled the weapon that I had concealed behind my back and placed it in his hand. Any other time his look of confusion would have been amusing. “What the… How did you… When did you take this?”

He seemed alarmed at the possibility that I could have taken it off him without him noticing. “You were unconscious. I didn’t know who you were or why you had a gun, so I thought better safe than sorry. Just in case you were a psycho or something…”

He couldn’t disagree with my logic. “Makes sense. Thank you for trusting me enough to give it back.” He stood up from the ground gingerly, trying to keep his injured arm tucked as tightly to his body as possible. “Now I just need you to trust me to get us out of here.”

I watched as he fiddled with the elevator controls and the emergency phone to no avail. “I already tried all of that. Nothing is working. Not even our cell phones.” I looked down in embarrassment. I basically just true confessed on myself. “I tried yours too, but I couldn’t open it. Now I guess I know why it was so protected. Your daughter is cute by the way.”

He smiled down at his phone. “That’s Riley. She’s not my daughter but I love her like one. She’s all grown up now, and she’s probably going to be the one to get us out of here. If I could just find a way to contact her…” He opened up his phone tried to run a program. He didn’t look happy with the result. “The phones are fine; someone is blocking the signals. They don’t want any communication in or out, which means my team will be going in dark. Damn it!”

Worry was creasing his beautiful face again. I didn’t like it. That emotion didn’t belong there. I stood up and halted his pacing. “Jack… Jack! Relax for a second. Let’s talk it through. Tell me what’s going on. Maybe I can help?” That was doubtful but I wanted to try. I would have done anything to make him feel a little better.

He chose his next words carefully. “I can’t tell you all the details. It’s classified. Basically, all you need to know is that there are some dangerous guys who were trying to steal a piece of technology from the building that would be catastrophic if it got out. We were sent in to remove the item and apprehend the thieves. I guess they were already here and waiting for us.”

My mind flashed back to the man outside the elevator doors on the floor to my office. “That man… the one who shot you… Do you think my colleagues are okay?”

He tried to assure me. “These guys have a reputation for carrying out their business without violence. That’s how they have gone so long being undetected. Most of their victims don’t even notice they have been robbed until they are long gone. We have been tracking them down for months. He fired because he knew me. Your friends should be fine. My team will do everything they can to make sure of that. My buddy Mac is probably inventing something to get us all out of this as we speak. He’s never met a puzzle he can’t solve. We’ll be fine. Everything will be fine…”

He was rambling a little. I hope this Mac guy was as good as he says he is, or we might be stuck in here forever. “In the meantime, what do we do? We can’t just sit here and wait.”

He looked up skeptically and I followed his gaze. “We could pop that open and see what we can see in the elevator shaft. Maybe then we would be able to tell what floor we are on, or if we could try to pry this thing open and climb up. I just need to figure out a way to get myself up there.”

I could not believe I was about to suggest this. “You can’t climb up there with that shoulder. Besides, I doubt I would be able to hold your weight to help you. But I bet you could still give me enough of a boost for me to do it.”

He looked stunned. “Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous.”

I stood my ground firmly. The last thing we needed was for him to fall and hurt himself again. “Do you have a better solution Jack? I’ll be careful, I promise. Plus, I trust you remember? I know you won’t let me fall.”

He still definitely did not like this idea, but he knew I was right. “Fine, but you have to do what I say, when I say. No trying to be a hero. If it is too dangerous, you’re done. Comprehende?”

I chuckled. “You mean, comprende?”

He waved me off. “Yeah, yeah whatever. You get what I mean.”

He positioned himself to help me reach the latch. Even one handed his strength was impressive. He wobbled of few times, but eventually we got there. I was trying as best as I could not to put any pressure on his injured shoulder. Popping the panel upward, I was able to see into the dark elevator shaft. Well, “see” was being generous. It was too dark to make anything out.

I needed light. “Hey Jack, let me see your phone.”

He shook his head. “Oh no, not you too. That sentence never ends well for me.”

I gave my rebuttal. “Come on, Jack! Do you want me to look around up here or not?”

He mumbled something under his breath. “So bossy… I kinda like it.”

“What did you say?” I asked.

He seemed shocked I had heard him. “Nothing. Nothing. I didn’t say a thing. You let me know if you spot anything useful.”

Clearly, he was lying but I brushed it off. The flashlight on his phone gave me just enough light to be able to tell we were somewhere between the 4th and 5th floors, but there was no way we were reaching the doors to climb out. Even if Jack weren’t injured, it still would have been a no go.

Just when I was about to call it quits on my exploratory mission, I noticed something blinking on the far side of the elevator. It was just out of my reach on the top left corner. “There is something up here. I can’t quite reach it. I need to climb a little higher.”

I set Jack’s phone down on top of the elevator and used my arms to push myself up and through the opening of the elevator that I had been perched in. I could hear Jack scolding me as my form disappeared from his view. “What the hell, Em?! Get your butt back down here! We don’t know if this thing is even stable! We had a deal.”

I was so close; I couldn’t abort now. “Just one more second. I’ve almost got it.”

He wasn’t playing around. “Don’t make me climb up there. I’ll do it, don’t test me!”

I smiled at him as I popped my head back through the opening. “Relax, old man. I’m coming.”

I reached for his outstretched arm and took a leap of faith. He held on tight as I slid down his body. He held me in front of him as he looked me over. “You alright?! You didn’t get hurt did yah?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine. But I did get this…”

I handed him over the device with the blinking lights and switches. His answering smile almost split his face in two. “Woo-hoo, girl! We are riding the gravy train with biscuit wheels! Do you know what this is?!”

I shook my head, smiling at his choice of words. He went on to explain himself. “This here’s the little box they are using to scramble our communication signal. I think you just found us our way out.”

He was so excited, he picked me up with one arm and spun me around in a circle. I laughed and pulled myself together after reeling from his touch. “So, what now?”

“Now, we turn this do-hickey off and call for help.” He started flipping switches until all the blinking lights went dark.

Immediately, Jack’ phone started ringing. He answered it excitedly. “Mac! Hey bud, you alright? Have you heard from Riley?”

His friend answered quickly. “I’m fine. We are both fine. Riley is right here with me. Where are you? Are you okay? The last time we talked you were headed up in the elevator.”

Jack responded. “Yeah, well I kinda never got off that ride. I’m trapped in here, but I’m all good.”

I don’t know what on Earth possessed me to speak out loud, but it just came out. “Don’t lie Jack. You’re not fine.”

There was an awkward pause until a female voice came across the line. “Jack, who is that? And what is she talking about? Are you hurt?”

Jack’s face looked betrayed, but I wasn’t going to let him downplay his injuries. I didn’t know him all that well, but he seemed the type to keep on pushing long after he should have tapped out. “Hi… um, sorry. My name is Emel. I’m not really important, but we kinda got trapped in here together. It would be great if you guys could come and get us out now. It’s starting to get really warm in here.”

Mac’s gentle voice came over the speaker of the phone. “Hi Emel. My name is Mac. I promise, we are going to get you out of there as quickly as we can. For now though, we need you guys to stay put. You are in pretty good hands with Jack.”

Again, it just came out. “I know I am, but right now he’s only got one hand. We could use some help in here.”

Riley chimed in again. Her voice was laced with worry. “Will someone please tell me what happened to Jack?!”

“It’s really no big deal, Ri. I just got a little banged up when the elevator crashed.” He was still downplaying things.

Alarm bells went off in Riley’s head at Jack’s words. “The elevator crashed?!”

My word vomit just would not stop. “Yeah, it dropped right after the guy shot at us. Jack got hit in the shoulder and then dislocated it when we fell.” Jack shot me a disgruntled look. “What?! Don’t look at me like that, Jack. She asked what happened to you so I told her. She sounded worried.”

Jack sighed. “Yeah, well Little Miss Talks A lot over here has a pretty nasty head wound too. I know you guys have got a lot of work to do, but sooner rather than later would be great.”

Mac pressed for more information. “Do you know where you are?”

Jack relayed all the information we had. “The brakes caught our fall. They stopped us somewhere between the 4th and 5th floors. Em climbed up to take a closer look, but we are too far away from any doors to try and climb our way out. Plus, I’m not fit to do much climbing anyway. She also found the signal blocker they were using clipped to the top of the elevator. That must have been what shorted out the controls. Even after we turned the box off, we still can’t get anything to work.”

Mac was forming a plan. “Okay… you guys sit tight. I’m going to loop Matty in so she can send in the TAC team to finish rounding up Santiago’s crew. Then me and Riles will try to come up with a way to get you out. I’ll call you back when I know something. For now, that’s probably the safest place you can be.”

Jack was visibly upset. “I don’t want to be safe, Mac. I want to be watching your back. Who’s gonna save your scrawny behind from itself?”

Riley made him a promise. She had so much affection in her voice. “I’ve got him Jack. You know I’d never let anything happen to our boy.”

Jack reluctantly resigned. “Be careful. Both of you!”

Jack slid down the elevator wall again and rested his head on his knees. He looked so exhausted. I wasn’t sure what to say to him. “I’m sorry I ratted you out.”

He snickered playfully. “Don’t be sorry. They would have been mad when they found out later. You probably saved me a lot of trouble and yelling.”

I took a seat next to him. “I really don’t like waiting and doing nothing. It is so hot in here. Don’t you think it is hot in here? And there definitely isn’t enough air. What if we run out of air Jack?!”

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “Breathe, baby. Don’t lose your vertical hold on me now. You’re stronger than you think. Hell, you’ve been braver than the first guy to try an oyster this whole time! Mac and Riley will get us out of here. We’ve got the easy part.”

His nonsense words did the trick. “Braver than the first man to try an oyster?”

He nodded. “Mmhmm. It would take some stones to be the first one to try one of them suckers. Slimly little things.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Speaking of eating… I am so freaking hungry right now. Not hungry enough for an oyster, but I could eat.” He was patting his stomach dramatically. “Beef jerky would really hit the spot.”

Smiling at him, I reached over and pulled the bag of snacks I had bought earlier out of my purse. I handed him the bag of Teriyaki flavored meat, as well as a couple cookies and a drink. “Ask and you shall receive.”

He was looking at me in stunned disbelief. “Good Lord, woman… I think I might love you.”

I knew he was just being funny, but it still gave me tingles to hear it. He was 100% the kind of man I could see myself falling in love with. I think I was already halfway there now if I’m being honest. I decided to joke back with him to cover up the silence that I had let fall between us while daydreaming about what our kids would look like. “I bet you say that to all the girls…”

His face fell slightly, and I felt bad for dredging up whatever memory that was fluttering through his head. “There was just the one girl.” When he realized he had revealed a little more than he wanted, he changed his tone again. He nudged my shoulder with his. “That is until you came along with your beef jerky and your pretty smile.”

I was about to respond when his cell phone went off again. It was Mac. “Please tell me you figured a way to get us out of here Mac?”

He sounded a little unsure. “I did, but you aren’t going to like it.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Surprise, surprise. Lay it on me hoss.”

Mac tried his best to explain. “I went down to the lower level and took a look around. I was able to put together something that theoretically will catch you guys and slow you enough before you hit the ground. Riley just needs to cut the power so we can release the emergency brakes.”

My mind kept honing in on one word. “Jack, what does he mean by theoretically?!”

He could tell I was about to panic. “Emel, you trust me, right? There is no one in the world that I trust more than Mac. He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met. If he thinks he can get us down safely, then he’ll do it. I wouldn’t put you in danger like that if I didn’t trust that he could.”

I inhaled a deep breath and closed my eyes. I could not believe this was happening. Again… It was like lightning striking twice in the same place. How do the same people end up plummeting towards the ground in the same elevator twice in one day?!

He moved carefully so he didn’t spook me and stood next to me to take my hand. “Okay, Mac. I think we’re ready. I’ll see you at the bottom homie.” Jack turned in to face me. “Hold on to me. I’ve got you sweetheart.”

I don’t know how, but he made that sound undeniable. I was instantly convinced he would protect me from everything that was about to happen and that there was not even a possibility of him failing. That’s how sure I was about him.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest. You could hear it when the power went off and the lights went out. Suddenly we were free falling again. I squeezed him as tight as I could. I wasn’t going to lose him again when we crashed. If I was going out, I was doing it holding on to the most gorgeous, wonderful man I had ever known.

You could feel it when the elevator latched on whatever makeshift device Mac had whipped up. We skidded to a stop and landed roughly on the ground. If we had fallen any longer, we would have been goners.

I was still wrapped securely around Jack. His head was resting tightly on top of mine, tucking me safely into his body. I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes. They were squeezed so tightly shut it hurt.

The sound of Jack’s voice in my hear soothed me. “It’s okay. We’re alright. We’re safe now.”

Today I had allowed myself to trust a complete stranger. I trusted him so much that I put my life in his hands. So now, hearing him say that we were safe, I trusted him again. I slowly opened my eyes. I needed to see his face. I needed to look deep into those dark brown eyes and know.

I wasn’t expecting to open my eyes to complete and total darkness. I could handle a lot of things. I could free fall in an elevator. I could get shot at. I could remove a bullet from a person with a Swiss Army Knife. But darkness… I could not do.

I could feel the panic rising in my chest threatening to swallow me whole. The air in our confined little space was getting thicker and thicker. Pretty soon it felt like I was drowning in it. The sound of my own pounding heartbeat was louder than anything I had ever heard. It was getting faster and faster, like it might burst directly out of my chest.

My knees buckled beneath me and sent me crashing to the floor. Within seconds, two strong hands were on me trying to console me in any way. I knew he was there, but it was like there was an invisible black barrier between us. Like we were in two separate dimensions and I could just barely make out his presence.

His hands were gripping my face. He was talking to me, but I don’t know what he was saying. I think maybe I heard my name. I heard him shorten it to Em in affection. My heart responded to that, but I was still trapped in fear. I thought it was never going to end. This is how I was going to die. I had survived a lot today only to be swallowed by darkness.

That’s when he kissed me. He was holding me to him so tightly. His lips were warm and soft. He tasted sweet. His lips moved with a sense of urgency and purpose. My head was swimming in a completely different way now.

He pulled away slowly, leaving his forehead pressed to mine. I couldn’t open my eyes again, but I could focus on him now. I could feel his breath and the warmth of his hands on my back. My voice was barely a whisper. “Why did you do that?”

His answering voice was gentle. “I needed to bring you back to me.”

I felt him fumbling for his phone in his pocket. He turned the flashlight on and lit up the small space we were still sitting in. “Is that better?”

I nodded in embarrassment. “Thank you… I’m sorry. I just… I really hate the dark.”

His smile could have lit up the room on its own. “Don’t apologize. It just gave me an excuse to do something that I’ve been thinking about all day.”

He leaned forward again, closing the distance between us. The light from his phone was illuminating his face just enough for me to see the intensity in his eyes. There were a lot of emotions dancing there. The relief and exhaustion. The hope and the desire. The fear to lean in closer and risk rejection.

I closed the rest of the distance for him and ran my hands up the back up his neck and into his hair. Kissing him again felt like I could finally breath. It felt so right. I never wanted to let go.

A loud screeching sound brought us back to reality. A tall blonde man had pried open the elevator doors and light was cascading in around us. He cleared his throat and looked away shyly. “Oh… sorry guys.” There was humor in his voice.

When he stepped out of the way, two medics came rushing in to provide aid. It took everything I had to pry my hand away from Jack’s. I didn’t want to let him go. It felt a little like a dream I was trying not to wake up from. If I let go, he might disappear for good.

I had to quit being selfish though. He was hurt and needed a hospital. And from the sounds of things, the paramedic thought I was going to need stitches.

They were loading us up into separate ambulances when a gorgeous young girl approached me. She gave me a quick hug. “Thank you for helping him. He told me what you did.”

All I could do was give her a small smile. “I’m Riley by the way. We talked a little before on the phone.”

Again, I nodded. “Yeah, I remember. Thanks for getting us out of there. And can you thank Mac for me too?”

She squeezed my hand. “Of course.”

The paramedics lifted me up into the ambulance and closed the doors behind them.

* * *

**~~~~~~~~~~**

Four hours later I was finally released from the hospital. They wouldn’t give me any information on Jack, and I couldn’t find any of his team around the hospital. He was just gone.

I felt empty and a little untethered. This had been the longest day of all time. I should have listened to my own advice this morning and just stayed home. Then none of this ever would have happened. I wouldn’t have 8 stitches in the top of my head and be nursing the beginnings of a broken heart.

It seemed irrational to feel this attached to him already. I had known him for less than a day. I didn’t even know his last name. Was I crazy? I felt crazy.

I just wanted to turn it all off. My mind needed to stop. I had come home, showered, and ordered myself a delicious pulled pork sandwich from the diner down the street. They would deliver it to me soon and I could curl up on the couch with my dog. Maybe get lost in a new TV show. Anything to take my mind off him…

The doorbell rang and I grabbed my wallet from the counter to pay for my food. When I opened the door, I dropped it on the ground. Jack was standing in front of me. “Jack?! What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

He gave me a sheepish grin. “I’m a super secret agent, remember?”

A hopeless day had just turned into a night of promises. I had absolutely no idea where this was going. If it could even go anywhere at all. All I knew is that he was here now, and that’s all that really mattered. We could figure out the rest later. Or as he said with a smile, “We’ll just improvise.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While I realize this is not an actual chapter, I needed to post this amazing cover art that a friend of mine created for this story. I get inspired by so many different things. It makes me feel so good to know that others find inspiration in things that I create as well. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do!

Thank you so much! This really spurs me on for future projects <3


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